Police said they received a call around 9 a.m. reporting a suspicious person walking along the highway. The caller said the person appeared to match the description of an inmate that had escaped from Missouri. Sallisaw officers Devin Harriman and Coty Biles made contact with Shawn Taylor Watie of Stillwell. Watie allegedly came after the officers with a knife, and they shot and killed him. He was not the person they said they were seeking.
Victim's Name: Shawn Taylor Watie
Agency Responsible: Sallisaw Police Department
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Race: Native American
Date of Death: March 14, 2019
County: Sequoyah
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Official Disposition: Justified by District Attorney
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: No
Armed: Allegedly Armed
Weapon: knife
Threat Level: attack
Fleeing: Not fleeing
Body Camera: No
Washington Post Database ID: 4565
Geography: Rural